Fast Food Nation: A detailed journalistic narrative that fails to be an exemplary model of science writing.

        Mr. Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation" is a very thoroughly researched, highly informative and alarming piece of investigative journalism, but fails to be an exemplary model of "Science Writing." Science writing is typically specific, statistical, factual, analytical, valid, verifiable, objective and unbiased type of writing unique from other forms of prose. Conjecture in science writing is reserved for the conclusion of the paper. The expectation is that a scientist will report his interpretation of the data after all the collected facts have been revealed. The word objective is to exhibit unbiased facts about a subject. The conclusions are not absolute and are subject to peer review and dispute. Other scientists may perform the experiment again in order to reproduce the results reported and confirm the conclusion drawn from the data. If the data is different, scientists will analyze the new data, and refute the conclusion drawn from the original data.

        The rhetoric of science writing is never written in the first person, but always in the third person to report objectively. Methodology, facts, data, and findings are reported with language that is absent of bias. The object is to present and describe the formulation of a study so that others may reproduce the findings. The goal is to produce a document that can be followed as a recipe by another scientist in order to prove or disprove the hypotheses of the study. By strictly adhering to the facts, others may use the information to formulate alternative conclusions. Science writing abstains from using adjectives wherever possible in order to reduce the influence of invoking human emotions. Human emotions are unpredictable, subjective and most times illogical which are all contrary to scientific reason and analysis. It is the exacting and precise language of science writing that separates it from other forms of writing and creates this position of a lack of bias.

         "Fast Food Nation" is a very thoroughly researched piece of writing. Quoting directly from Schlosser's text, "Moreover, the turnover rates for both jobs are among the highest in the American economy. The annual turnover rate in the fast food industry is now 300 to 400 percent. The typical fast food worker quits or is fired every three to four months." (Schlosser, 2003, p. 73) When Schlosser says "both jobs," he is referring to strawberry pickers and fast food restaurant employees. Examining these two sentences, the rhetoric is absent of language that influences the reader's emotions. Schlosser states the facts in a manner that is indicative of the scientific approach. The writing is absent of objective and biased language. Schlosser states the facts, which were verified by consulting statistics on the Bureau of Labor and Statistics web site.

         Schlosser's facts are verifiable and accurate. His statement that, "Chicken McNuggets contain twice as much fat per once as a hamburger," was verified by consulting McDonald's web site showing nutritional statistics on their food. (Schlosser, 2002, p. 140) It is not abundantly clear on the web site. The fat content has to be computed for the chicken McNuggets. Once this is done, Schlosser's claim becomes a verifiable fact. Schlosser reports "anabolic steroids implanted into a cow's ear are used by the cattle industry to make them fatter." (Schlosser, 2002, p. 150) A McDonald's corporate press release calls for a phase-out of growth promoting antibiotics in the meat supply, which verifies Schlosser's claim. On page 157, Schlosser states, "the Chicago stockyard saw its peak in 1924 and then a gradual decline started caused by decentralization into regional markets and packing operations, which lead to its closing in 1971," was verified by checking the Chicago Public library on the Web. (Chicago Municipal Reference Library)

         Schlosser fails to mention in his statement of the high turnover rate in the fast food industry that most people working within these restaurants are people with little education and lack the necessary job skills to apply for better jobs. Schlosser does not consider housewives, college students and retirees as part of the demographic. These people are attracted to these positions due to a lifestyle that creates a need for only part time work. These positions are better suited for them because they require flexible work schedules that fast food restaurants can provide. Due to the boring monotony of these positions, short time hours and flexible schedules are a benefit to the employer and the employee. The employee arrives at work without the feeling that the work is a drudging bore. This also affects the employee's rapport with the patrons of the restaurant. This particular demographic does not consider these positions as career move, as simple means of making ends meet.

         Throughout the text, Schlosser uses powerful adjectives that evoke the reader's emotions. He presents a wealth of facts, statistics, and history that are well organized, but Schlosser weaves this information into categories that leave impressions on the reader's psyche and he uses many well placed adjectives in order to satisfy his own personal social/political agenda. It is this style of reporting that causes "Fast Food Nation" to be an exemplary model of science writing.

         Schlosser's rhetoric leaves no room for the formulation of alternative conclusions. Science writing is written such that alternative conclusions may be created or new hypotheses may be established by presenting all sides of a viewpoint. He eliminates this space by either moving onto another fact or fails to remain with a fact long enough to visualize it and work with it from different perspectives. Schlosser states, "Over the last three decades, fast food has infiltrated every nook and cranny of American society." (Schlosser, 2000, p.3) The word choice "infiltrated" immediately fills the mind with negative connotations that are normally associated with war and siege mentality. The use of such words is meant to have a very strong impact on the American psyche due to its implications, especially on a "freedom loving" society and nudges the mind in a subtle manner towards bias. Schlosser is manipulating the reader's thought processes, unless the reader is consciously aware to recognize that their emotions are being manipulated by his word choices.

         Schlosser often uses phrases such as, "They should know what really lurks between those sesame-seed buns." (Schlosser, 2000, p. 10) When Schlosser uses the word "they," he is referring to consumers of fast food. What is interesting here is his use of the word "lurks." Lurks conjures images of evil waiting within dark shadows to lunge upon its unsuspecting victim as in a horror movie. With a little imagination one can envision images of the now cooked hamburger transforming into Freddie Kruger, reducing the unsuspecting fast food patron into the same raw chop meat that was once the state of the previously uncooked hamburger. This is an over dramatization, but it precisely this same language that Schlosser uses so eloquently we hardly even recognize it unless the reader actually analyzes the language used. Mr. Schlosser uses language that our emotions identify with and not our objective logic.

         When Schlosser describes the National Restaurant Association's opposition to an increase in minimum wage compensation, he uses the adjective "vehemently". "Nethertheless, the National Restaurant Association has vehemently opposed any rise in the minimum wage at the federal, state, or local level." (Schlosser, 2003, p. 73) Instead of just stating the fact, Schlosser adds the word "vehemently" which implies strong emotions such as ardent, fervent, or passionate. His word choice "vehemently" fills our minds with other visions such as "obsession" words that have negative connotations. Schlosser does present the other side of this argument. If the minimum wage is raised it creates a ripple effect throughout the economy. Employees who are just slightly above minimum wage will now have minimum wage salaries and will expect an increase in their salaries. This affect can cascade throughout the entire food chain, but at a certain point the effect will disappear according to how much is enough.

         The other affect that Schlosser fails to mention about increasing minimum wage is that many businesses at this performance level are sensitive to any adjustment made in money paid out. Just a small change may render a company unprofitable. Companies such as these tend to operate on small profit margins and rely on the volume of sales versus relying on price margins for profitability.

         In a passage referring to IBP meatpacking corporation's operations, Schlosser states, "At the dawn of the fast food era, IBP became a meatpacking company with a fast food mentality, obsessed with throughput, efficiency, centralization, and control." (Schlosser, 2000, p. 154) The verb "obsession" fosters images of a young man whose passion for a woman is on the boarder of being out of control. The key point here is "out of control." By using the verb "obsessed", Schlosser implants images in our mind with negative connotations of the meat packing industry's attempt to maximize efficiency. Schlosser purposely chooses verbs and adjectives to defend his position of good versus evil. By using such rhetoric he motivates the reader to action, the action of refraining from patronizing fast food restaurants. Schlosser never presents the alternative view in any of the facts that he cites. He only presents us with his view in order to affect change.

         Schlosser uses writing techniques that are considered creative non-fiction prose. "I see: a man reach inside cattle and pull out their kidneys with his bare hands, then drop the kidneys down a metal chute, over and over again, as each animal passes by him; a stainless steel rack of tongues; Whizzards peeling meat off decapitated heads, picking them almost as clean as the white skulls painted by Georgia O'Keeffe." (Schlosser, 2002, p. 171) This prose is found more often in creative non-fiction essays. Prose like this would never be published in any academic peer reviewed scientific journal. The same sentence published in a science journal would be objective in tone. Mr. Schlosser's bias comes through loud and clear in sentences like this.

         Mr. Gary Alan Fine, a professor of sociology at Northwestern University had this to say;

"Academics sometimes refer to this style of writing as 'sociology with adjectives,' referring to the power of the pungent, descriptive phrase to set the terms of debate without having to adduce evidence. Consider, for instance, the difference between a 'sizzling burger' and a 'leaden burger.' Such descriptions, sprinkled like salt throughout Fast Food Nation, affect the taste of the repast. Schlosser is an adjectival writer, a scribe who deftly deploys literary condiments." (Fine, 2001)

Mr. Fine exemplifies the very rhetoric that is objectionable in science writing. This is against all the rules of reporting science. It is this very prose that Schlosser uses that separates his writing from true science writing. Fine is the only academic who clearly and in a straight-forward manner refutes "Fast Food Nation" as being Scientific Writing.

        The point is not that his facts are incorrect or unverifiable. His research certainly is performed according to scientific methods, but his presentation of the facts and his use of rhetoric push a sociopolitical agenda. Mr. Schlosser's rhetoric persuades the reader to not patronize fast food restaurants in order to affect change. This is a method that is usually used in pseudo-science in order to stimulate society to affect change within the status quo.